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Thursday, 7 January 2016

Everybody has their own favourite way of bleeding brakes and it’s hard to beat the two-man operation: it may involve a lot of shouting but applying pressure to the system via the pedal is just about the only failsafe way of doing it. The major drawback though is that you do need two people which is why there are several one-man devices on the market. These include the ‘Eezi-Bleed’ type which uses air pressure to pressurise the system via the master cylinder cap, plus the vacuum bleeders which suck the fluid and air out from the bleed nipple using a one-way valve and hand plunger.

The Reverse Bleeder is similar to the hand trigger pumps but works in exactly the opposite way, by pushing fluid up the pipe into the master cylinder rather than the other way round. The idea is that fresh fluid is pushed up the pipework, with the trapped air eventually appearing in the master cylinder where it can escape.

It’s a complex-looking kit as delivered, with several adapters and lengths of pipe, plus the trigger itself.

The instructions supplied in the packaging are slightly basic and suggest visiting www.reversebleeder.com if you’ve not used this type of tool before. In practice we found that after a few minutes’ head scratching the diagrams on the packaging were sufficient to set it up as required.

We used it to bleed the brakes on an air-cooled VW Beetle and then on a more modern Golf after replacing a rear calliper and although it took a while to work out which way to set up the tool we found it worked well. We used the tool in the reverse mode on the older car and achieved a firm pedal within minutes, although on the Golf it didn’t seem so successful and we used the tool in its vacuum bleeding mode. Being more familiar with this method anyway, we found it worked well and provided a nice firm pedal. Either method does require you to keep an eye on the fluid level in the master cylinder, to avoid it either running dry and filling the pipes with air or to avoid it overflowing brake fluid on to your paint.

Verdict: Simple and convenient

It’s a simple tool which is worth having around to enable quick and easy brake bleeding without having to call on an assistant. The ability to both reverse bleed and vacuum bleed makes it useful in all kinds of situations. Now to discover whether we can use it on mountain bike brakes…

Friday, 31 July 2015

A product of extensive research, Evapo-Rust rust
remover is an environmentally safe water based product that has been
proven to make even deep rust disappear in minutes, without any
scrubbing.
It’s so easy to use, anyone can restore their rusted tools, auto
parts, even firearms to like-new condition. One gallon de-rusts up to
300 pounds (136kg) of steel.Evapo-rust
will not harm metals, rubber, plastic, PVC, most paints or un-rusted
steel. In fact, immersing un-rusted objects in Evapo-Rust provides
excellent long-term rust protection.
Best of all, Evapo-Rust
is safe to use. It’s non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-flammable, and
contains no acids, alkalis or petroleum solvents. Evapo-Rust is also
biodegradable.

Rust Removal Has Never Been Easier!

Pour into a container a sufficient amount of Evapo-Rust to completely cover the rusted object.

Immerse the rusted object into the Evapo-Rust solution for 30 minutes (light rust) up to overnight (heavy rust).

Rinse item with water. If deep rust remains in puts, re-immerse in Evapo-Rust.

FAQs

Q. How does Evapo-Rust work?A. Evapo-Rust uses “selective chelation”, a process in which a
large synthetic molecule forms a bond with metals and holds them in
solutions. The active ingredient in Evapo-Rust bonds exclusively to the
iron in ironoxide – not in steel.

Q. Do parts have to be completely clean before treatment?A. No. Evapo-Rust contains detergents which can penetrate dirt
and oil. However, surface contaminants do slow the process. The soils
must be penetrated before EVAPO-RUST can come in contact with the rust
underneath. Soil residue will also shorten the life of EVAPO-RUST. Heavy
greases and cosmoline should be removed prior to de-rusting.

Q. Will Evapo-Rust remove bluing and other oxide finishes?A. Yes, in about 30 minutes. Anodising will not be removed.
Powder coating and paint will not be removed as long as the paints do
not contain oxides.

Q. Can I clean brass, copper and aluminium with Evapo-Rust?A. No, it will not clean (or damage) any of these metals. It will not harm plastic, clothing or glass either.

Q. I get a black film on some parts after using Evapo-Rust. What is it and how do I remove it?A. The black is carbon from the steel. Generally high carbon
steel is used in making items that are flexible (e.g. springs, saw
blades) High carbon steel and tool alloy steel items when de-rusted will
have a darker appearance. Much of the carbon can be removed simply by
wiping with a cloth.

Q. Can I de-rust by spraying Evapo-Rust on the rusted area?A. No. Evapo-Rust only works in liquid form, since the water in
the solution will evaporate when sprayed. However, it can be sprayed on
unrusted steel as a rust preventative.

Q. How can I use Evapo-Rust on a surface too large to soak?A. Place a paper towel soaked in Evapo-Rust over the rusted area.
Cover the paper towel with plastic wrap and tape the wrap down to
prevent moisture from escaping. Remove in 24 hours and rinse with water.

Q. How long does Evapo-Rust last?A. One gallon of Evapo-Rust will remove moderate rust from 300
pounds (136kg) of steel. If any of the bath evaporates, simply replace
with fresh tap water.
Q. How do I know when the bath is spent?A. The bath will turn completely black and will not remove rust.

Q. How do I dispose of the spent solution?A. Pure Evapo-Rust can be safely poured into the city sewer. When
the solution is spent, only the iron content will dictate the disposal
method.

Q. How do I protect parts against rusting?A. De-rusting with Evapo-Rust will provide 10-14 days of rust
inhibition, depending on humidity. You can spray it on unrusted steel to
prevent rust from forming on your tools, hardware and garden equipment.
Its water-based, non-toxic formula inhibits rust from forming on all
ferrous metals.

When restoring older cars, it is often too expensive to replace a
cracked dashboard. And, that is assuming a new dash board is available.
In cases where new parts are too expensive, too difficult to find, or,
impossible to find, you will need to restore what is already there. The
padded dashboard on this 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser is a good
example.

Step 1:
As you can see, this dashboard has a hole that needs to be repaired.
Most old cars and some new cars have dashboards made from vinyl over
urethane foam. Over time in the sun, the vinyl gets brittle and the dash
board gets cracks. Many newer dashboard don't have any foam at all.
Instead, they are made from injection molded TPO or ABS. But, these
dashboards can also get cracked or get holes from exposure to the sun.

Step 3: Use Plastic Welder to melt some of the polyurethane welding rod
into the void that was created when you sanded out the crusty, dried
out foam. The urethane rod is very flexible and closely simulates the
urethane foam. Turn the temperature all of the way up and the melted rod
come out bubbly. Some of the bubbles remain encapsulated within the
polyurethane and simulates the foam even more. Overfill the hole
slighly. You will be sanding it down and it is better to overfill
slightly than having to find out that you need to melt more polyurethane
rod into the hole after you have sanded it.IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have one of the newer dashboards that don't have any foam, you may skip this step.

Step 4: This is what it looks like after filling the hole.

Step 5: Use 80 grit sandpaper
to sand the urethane level with the surrounding area. The urethane is
very stretchy and elastic so, if you use really short strokes when you
sand, it may just stretch back and forth rather than getting ground
away. A good way to prevent the back-and-forth stretching is to put your
thumb on top of the sandpaper over the area that you need to sand.
Then, pull the sandpaper while maintaining downward pressure with your
thumb over the urethane.

Step 6: This is what the damaged area looks like after the urethane welding rod was sanded down.

Step 10: Spray on texture coating.
You may want to spray the texture coating on something else first. You
will get different size texture depending on your spray gun settings and
how much you reduce (dilute) the texture paint with lacquer thinner.

Step 11: Lightly scuff the texture coating with a scuff pad to remove any high spots. Sometimes the texture coating can be a little bit rough after it is applied.

Step 12: This is how the dash pad looks before the top coat is applied.

Step 13: A topcoat was applied to match the original color.

Step 14: Here is the finished dash repair and restoration. As you can see, the dashboard looks great. Now, for the rest of the car.

Friday, 15 May 2015

Many older interiors and components were finished with a wrinkle, crinkle or crackle, effect paint. Now you can reproduce the same finish in a few hours from an aerosol spray can. Great for early M.G. dashboards, Ferrari and Lotus cam covers, electrical components, old radio cabinets, trim pieces, gauges, etc

Product Info

VHT High Temperature Wrinkle Plus leaves a distinctive custom crinkle finish that you both see and feel. The crackle finish is extremely durable, long lasting and chemical resistant. It is temperature resistant to 350°F (177°C) and is ideal for adding a touch of personal styling to almost any metal surface.
VHT Wrinkle Plus resists colour fading, grease, degreasers and severe weather conditions. This tough durable finish is extremely resistant to rust, corrosion, chipping and cracking.
Paint directly onto the bare metal (but some customers have mentioned the paint will bond better with a coat of Self Etch Primer)
Dries within 24 hrs of applying (does not wrinkle when cold, try to use in a warm atmosphere and when humidity is less than 60%)
Available in 2 colours: Black and Red.

How-To

1. Clean surface thoroughly. Prepare surface by removing grease/wax, oil, loose paint, rust, etc. For best results use Frost Panel Cleaner, which will not leave any residue on the surface.
Ideally use paint striper to strip down to bare metal. Oherwise, you can scuff or sand previously painted surfaces - being sure to feather all rough edge.
Clean the surface again to make sure no residue is left over. Allow to dry before applying VHT coating.

2.Mask-off surrounding areas to protect from overspray. Vaseline over letters might be good idea too!

3. Shake for one full minute after marble is heard. Use at temperatures between 60 deg F (16 deg C) and 95 deg F (35 deg C) and when humidity is less than 60%.
To spray, holding can upright 8-10 inches from surface to be painted and use in an even sweeping motion.
Apply at least 3 heavy coats in a crosshatch pattern. First coat vertically, second coat horizontally, third coat diagonally – allowing 5 minutes between each coat
A relatively heavy film thickness is required for the product to Wrinkle. Avoid runs caused by excessive spray.

4. This paint dries very slowly. A “wrinkle” finish does not appear immediately after spraying.
Allow about 2 hours to air dry (depending on the temperature and the light). If paint fails to wrinkle or wrinkles in an uneven pattern, apply an additional coat of paint in unwrinkled areas.
Although paint appears dry, avoid any contact with surface for at least 24hours. Allow 48 hours or more before reassembling parts.
To cure the paint, bake in an oven for one hour at 200 deg F (93 deg C). Process may be accelerated by the use of a heater or heat gun. Exposure to light also help to fast forward the waiting time, as the level of heat and light exposure determines the coarseness of finish.
Once desired coarseness of finish is achieved, remove heat and light sources from object being coated until cured. Coating is fully cured after (minimum) 48 hours.

5. Finally you can remove the masking tape, sand and polish letters to finish the job!1 Aerosol can cover approximately 12-14 square feet.After each use, invert can and spray until clear gas comes out. If spray button becomes clogged, wipe off orifice with lacquer thinner.DO NOT stick pins or wire into can opening.

Friday, 13 February 2015

It's a known fact that a set of wheels can make or break a car. We've seen some of the biggest "junkers" become legendary with a nice set of wheels and a ride height adjustment. The opposite can happen when you have a nicely restored vehicle that has dirty, beat-up, or badly finished wheels. It can ruin the overall appearance of the car or truck. We're here to show you how to make your rolling stock look as good as your ride with these 10 tips to powder coated wheel perfection.

1. Preparation Is Key!- Powder Coating, like traditional paint, requires a clean, dry surface for the best results. We suggest to media blast your wheels down to bare metal for the best powder adhesion. Powder coating is a "high-build" coating that will fill the texture left by media blasting. We offers DIY Media Blasting Products that make it a pretty affordable option.

The other option is to remove the finish chemically or mechanically. Both methods can be quite messy and time consuming, but they do the job. Once the wheels are free of any old coatings, wash them down with a solvent like PRE or After Blast to remove any grease, dirt, or grime. At this point we'd suggest wearing clean rubber gloves. The oil from your skin can transfer to the surface and actually cause imperfections in the powder during curing. Remember, the cleaner the better!

2. Pre-Bake Wheels- The wheels on your vehicle are subjected to some of the harshest conditions on your vehicle. They see extreme temps, brake dust, grease, grime, salt, and anything in between. No matter how often you cleaned the wheels (especially cast wheels), they'll still have some residue or contaminants baked into the metal. Those contaminants can release when the wheel is heated up. If that happens when baking and curing your powder, it could cause popping, bubbling, or even a fisheye effect in your cured powder. We suggest to bake your wheels at 350-400 degrees for 30 minutes to an hour to assure that you have released and baked out the years of contaminants in the metal. This way when you apply the powder and cure it at a similar temperature, those contaminants would have already been released.

3. Assure you have a good ground connection- Grounding your wheels to the powder coating gun is very important. Most wheels have some tight corners and crevices that can be difficult to get the powder into. The static charge that is created by grounding the wheels and charging the powder is what helps the powder cling into every crevice. Without a good ground the powder won't stick in these spots and you'll get an uneven finish. We've had luck by running thin metal wire around or through each wheel and then connecting the ground to the metal rack the wheels sit on for coating and curing. This allows you an easy spot to clamp your ground clamp to the rack or even the wire under the rack.

4. Hot-Flock you wheels- "Hot-Flocking' is a procedure where you preheat the part and immediately coat the wheel. The hot wheel will help the powder "stick" to the surface easier as the powder may begin to melt as soon as it hits the surface. This technique takes some practice to perfect. You will need to be quick with laying the powder down so the part doesn't cool too much. Also be mindful to avoid laying too much powder during this method as you can get "runs" or "clumps" of powder that will collect in one spot.

5. Use High Temperature Masking Tape- Use this high temp tape to mask off lug holes, hub bores, and any other areas that have a tight tolerance and could cause issues when refitting the wheels. You can also use this tape to mask off portions of the wheels to apply a second coat of powder for a custom application.

7. Protect the inside of the wheels- One of the nice things about powder coating is that it helps seals the metal and keep your wheels from corroding. We have found a good practice while powder coating your wheels is to apply a layer of powder on the inside barrels of the wheels to protect them from corrosion. The inner barrels or hoop see the harshest conditions. You can make the coating as basic as satin black powder or go full custom and use an eye catching Translucent or Candy Powder.

8.Remove anything that shouldn't be coated- If you don't want it coated or it can't handle the heat, you must remove it before starting the process. This includes valve stems, sealing rings, trim pieces, lug covers, hubcaps or center caps, etc.

9. Use metal or high temperature filler on damaged wheels- Have a wheel with some "curbing" or damage? Use an all metal filler like Lab-Metal to fill and sand imperfections smooth. Powder Coating can have some filling properties, but heavy scratches or gouges need to be filled. Alternatively you could use an AC/DC Tig Welder to weld and fill major damage.

10. Use a Quality Powder Gun- As mentioned earlier, powder coating wheels can be difficult with all of the crevices and tight areas you need to coat. Not all powder coating guns are created equal and you need to make sure you use a gun that has the ability to switch to a lower voltage that allows the powder to cling to those hard to reach areas. Our Dual Voltage Powder Coating Gun is one example of an adjustable voltage gun.
If you follow these tips and take your time, you can make your wheels look as good as the rest of your ride and last just as long too!